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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24842407">The raven of a fae is a treasure in a ruin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merlahanceval/pseuds/Merlahanceval'>Merlahanceval</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Story Re-told: Maleficent [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Maleficent (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:01:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,476</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24842407</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merlahanceval/pseuds/Merlahanceval</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Diaval and Maleficent's journey as servant and mistress started at the ruins. Will it end in one?</p><p>Spoilers: No. Unless... </p><p>No. Not really.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aurora &amp; Diaval (Disney), Aurora &amp; Maleficent (Disney), Diaval/Maleficent (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Story Re-told: Maleficent [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The raven of a fae is a treasure in a ruin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Basically a Maleficent rewrite. Tweaked some parts (mostly dialogue. still figuring out those.) and will have additional ones. So technically, a Maleficent movie Frankenstein's monster. I hope you like it nonetheless.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Flying by some ruins, The raven saw something. This close he could tell it's a she. He saw her eyes first, gleaming but empty.</p><p>Are those horns? The raven thought as his eyes adjust to the darkness of the ruins. Oh, Yes they are. Then her pale complexion and full lips forming a frown captured his attention. He crooned. She looked at him.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>A raven saw her.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She drove it away.</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div><p>Morning came, he's trapped under a farmer's net. Next thing he knew he's human. A human man. He saw her again. She saved him and he's indebted to her. He's quite bitter but there are far worse things than being whatever this being, this fairy, needs.</p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>Diaval. He gave her his name. Wings. She told him she needs him to be her wings. Then he realised she's a fairy--without wings. Peculiar. His curiosity piqued. Which, apart from his honour, let him keep his vow of servitude instead of flying away. With these gangly limbs, how can he?</p>
<p></p><div>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>No, he won't <span class="adverb"> fly </span> away from her. Only when he's at work. Like right now. So with his raven-self returned, he soared the skies and he spied. Hearing enough, he flew back to her.</p></div></div><div><p>Hearing the news, she's calm, the next moment furious and raging like the sea. The ground quaked at her feet. The walls crumbled and the skies darkened. At the surface, He saw her anger at that so-called king. In deep, She's more angry at herself for being so naive.</p></div></div></div><div>
  <p>She is Strong. She is powerful. And its painful to see her falling apart. He wouldn't wish that even to his worst enemies. That night he saw her forlorn in the ruins is nothing compared to how he sees her now-- Daily clouded by gloom. Nightly visited by nightmares.</p>
  <p>She knows she's strong. She wouldn't be the guardian of her home if she isn't. Still, she's hurting. She's falling apart. Out of control. She asks herself how did she become so out of control? Why did she let herself be so out of control? Surely she's not the one to blame, all she did was trust... all she did was love. That man, that man she can't even say the name of, did this.</p>
</div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>And so there starts her plan for revenge.</p></div></div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>The raven's news came. Hesitation halted his usually fluid words from flowing. The heart of the news finally came through. <em>"A child ," </em>he said. <em>"Stefan and the queen have had a child."</em></p></div></div><div>
  <p><em>"Oh."</em> Nothing can scare him more than her tone and the absence in her eyes. Until he heard the following words.</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>"</em> <em>A grand celebration for a baby...How wonderful."</em></p>
</div><div>
  <p>Looking at the distance, she appears still now. A perfect mask that stillness is, he knows there's more to that. His skin crawled. Of course, there's more to that.</p>
  <p>The grand celebration is today. She's donned in black, from the tip of her magnificent horns down to her feet. But she's not to be mistaken as a shadow, for she's more blinding that the sun. Her presence gracing the palace like a dark angel as she walks to the throne.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>She greeted them all. Royalty, Nobility, The gentry, and even the rabble pixies. He crooned as she spoke, feigned hurt. He's concerned until she smiled and chuckled. Mischief lighting up her eyes. There's that again...that perfect mask. Concealing that which he can see now---her rage. The utter hatred she felt. Her pain.</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>"</em><em>What an awkward situation,"</em>  her bravado is astounding.</p>
  <p>They all did as she told. They listened well as she cursed the baby. She's wicked! they said murmuring opinions here and there but who are they to judge? One almost killed him for fun and she saved his life.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Cursing an innocent child is unnacceptable. An evil deed indeed, but there's a reason why.</p>
</div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>Doesn't justify the deed, still there's a reason why.</p></div></div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>Some might say dangerous or cruel, even evil. Like predators in the night who attack to protect themselves. As she does. As she did now. Still, Why deflect? He doesn't understand why not make a direct attack at the king. He'd peck his eyes out if he could.</p></div></div><div>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>She doesn't either but the hatred that came with his betrayal drove her to do so. And she's reveling in every moment.</p></div></div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>Until she isn't anymore.</p></div></div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>She keeps telling herself that she's only keeping her alive long enough for her curse to take effect. She keeps telling herself, until she believes it. But she knows better than that.</p></div></div><div>
  <p>Diaval watched as the flames of anger in her heart suffocates little by little. As the laws of nature dictate, as the night falls, the sun rises.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>And with the wording of the curse, he knew from then on they'd live for the dawn.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He's enticed from the very moment he saw the child smile at his mistress in that cottage. His mistress came cool, then she hissed at the poor babe and called her ugly. Still the baby smiled. Laughed even. The baby is more unaffected than her at this point. How come? she wonders. "Beloved by all who meet her", and she knew she did. Still, She remains guarded.</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>"Beloved by all who meet her,"</em> her very words. Beloved by all who meet her and he did. He loved the little one as his own. He sings to her at night, feeds her everyday, plays with her. Seeing her laugh made those words more like a prayer for a blessing than a curse. It is an honour to meet her--to love her, as a father to his fledgling.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>As Maleficent witnesses how easy it is for her raven to open his heart to child. How easy for the child to give care in return. She wonders. Can a heart as pure as his open to her as well? Can she give care in return as well?</p>
  <p> </p>
  <p>But she feared. Oh how she feared.</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Such terrifying thought, that is giving her heart away again. She's guarded but knows there's nothing to guard. Aurora's bright smile and big blue eyes eyes already ran away with what's left of her heart. Like thieves in the night.</p>
</div><div>
  <p><span class="hardreadability">Will the desire of being vulnerable enough to love and </span> <span class="passivevoice"> be loved </span> <span class="hardreadability"> weigh more than the pain brought upon by old wounds on her heart </span>? Only time will tell.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>So life goes on. Aurora visits them everyday. Her smile bringing joy to his heart and a smile in his Mistress' beautiful face. So enamouring seeing her wearing that smile every time the dawn visits. It's real and it fits her so well.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Diaval can't shake the beauty of her smile in his mind. He kept thinking of that. He kept thinking of the hope it signifies, that her frown now is soul shattering to see. That night when she told him that she tried but is unsuccessful in revoking the curse.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He knew he loved her then, seeing her soul. Broken, as it is, still the openness made him wish he's closer for her to lean on. More open than her smile, her soul is bare before him. Pained, hurting, good soul. He didn't say a thing. He didn't know what to say.</p>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>She didn't let him think about it. She won't hear a word of pity for what she did and what she can't undo now.</p>
</div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>He's thinking about a million things to say, and none of them are about it.</p></div></div><div><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>They walked to her tree. Without a word he's transformed and he flew to his nest thinking about tonight. Thinking about staying by her side all the days of his life. Be there when she felt the need to open up about what she's feeling which she rarely does. Be there for her and witness all that she is for nothing is more precious than her being.</p></div></div><div>
  <p>And she lay awake thinking about how she didn't see pity in his black eyes. Instead seeing kindness and acceptance--and wondered how did she miss that. Or better yet, why she kept ignoring that.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>16 years. Everyday in company of each other and he's been a friend. A loyal and dear one, she mused, but she still won't see his face if she voiced that thought.</p>
</div><div><p>She loves seeing his face every time she calls him a vain peacock though. "I'm a raven!" he'd say. And something like, "and peacocks are stupid. Not as beautiful as me and stupid." He's always been very good at keeping her heart light.</p><p> </p><p>He still doesn't think she's funny though.</p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr"><p>So what will happen if he'd paid his debt already? Of course he wouldn't want to stay any longer. Of course he'd leave and soar. A free bird that he is. As he should be before her. Before she succumb to the arms of sleep, she wondered.</p></div></div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading. </p><p>This is my first work, so any tips that will help me improve is much appreciated. </p><p>Oh, by the way, the title is a play on the idiom "The man of God is a treasure in a ruin." I just think its appropriate.</p><p>ight, thanks, bye.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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